Means for increasing the performance of ignition systems by a booster device for ignition apparatus



Nov. 27, $5286 1,693,210

E. VON LEPEL MEANS FOR INCREASING THE PERFORMANCE OF IGNITION SYSTEMS BY A BOOSTER DEVICE FOR IGNITION APPARATUS Filed July 16, 1926 rnlnnnn gmnmtoz Eyberl van Le oeZ Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,693,210 PATENT OFFICE.

EGIBERT VON LEPEL, OF NEW'YORK, N. Y.

MEANS FOR INCREASING THE PERFORMANCE OF IGNITION SYSTEMS BY A BOOSTER DEVICE FOR IGNITION APPARATUS.

Application filed July 16,

I Battery ignition systems suffer, if a high spark rate ,is required, due to the fact that the intake current decreases with increasing spark rate to such an extent that at very high spark rates the tension available is very near the limit required to jump the gap of the spark plug. It has been proposed to wind a second primary winding on the same 1ron core with the original primary winding and to add this second primary winding in parallel to the first winding, when the speed exceeds a certain limit. .Such a device, however, is not satisfactory for ignition'purposes, because of the fact that the spark plug will'not consume the .energy fed to it beyond a certain limit of wattage, when the time between two following sparks becomes too short and therefore a certain amount of residual magnetism will remain in the iron core and interfere with the next following electromagnetic impulse,

. thereby increasing unduly the intake of primary current. This effect is commonly called the. overlapping efl'ect.

My present invention relates to a devlce by which the intake current of an ignition coil may readily be doubled, treb-led or increased to even a greater extent without creating any overlapping effect, and increasing the secondary output of the spark'coil with regard to current and tension. The new device is shown in the single diagram on the drawing. In this diagram of the circuit, 1 represents a source of current, 2 the timer with the con-- denser 3 across its points, 4: is the common primarywinding of the spark or ignition coil 15, the secondary winding 5 of which coil is connected in the common way through a distributor 6 to the spark plugs 7, 8, 9 and 10. 11 represents the ground connections. The timer 2 is of the rotary or cam-actuated breaker type.

The booster, according to this invention, is shown connected in parallel to theprimary winding of the spark coil. The booster consists of the inductance coil 12 and the condenser 13 connected in shunt to the booster 'coil. 14 is a switch for throwing the booster in and out of circuit. In order to obtain a good result from this device, the inductance of the booster coil is preferably made larger than the inductance of the primary coil,- and its ohmic resistance should be as small as possible and below the resistance of the primary winding of the 1926. Serial No. 122,964.

spark coil. The ironlosses as well should be reduced to a minimum so that the coil represents a high inductance with very low ohmic and the field of the booster, which are not coupled with one another and therefore independent of one another, are built up, and when the timer 2 breaks the current, the extra current of both the windings will discharge into i the condensers shown in the diagram until the potential in the secondary winding of the spark coil reaches the point to break down the gap in the plugs. When this happens, the ohmic resistance of the high tension circuit is instantaneously transferred to the primary winding of the spark coil, and as the primary inductance is then practically short-circuited by the secondary winding, the spark coil then represents more an ohmic resistance than an inductance. On the other hand, the booster coil, which has no secondary winding and a very low ohmic resistance, continues to act as an inductance and continues therefore to send its extra current partly into the condenser, and partly into the primary winding of the spark coil, thus reversing the sense of the magnetism in the iron core of the spark coil. After this, the oscillatory discharge of the condenser goes mainly through the ohmic resistance represented by the spark coil, thus inducing an increased wattage in the secondary winding of the coil, while that portion of condenser discharge, which will go through the booster winding, represents an almost wattlcss current. The entire energy stored in both the iron cores, while the timer 2 is closed, is therefore displaceable at the high tension terminal of the spark coil. The reason why no overlapping is created in this way, although with the same energy stored in one single core under the same conditions a very considerable overlapping effect would arise, is, that the flux of the iron core of the spark coil is driven by the action of the current from the booster coil floyv'i'n-g through the primary windings in a reversed sense. This reyersing of the current takes place automatobvious by the fact that the booster may be.

connected in the one sense or the other of its winding to the primary coil'without changing in the least the effect, while in all known devices, in which a coupling of any degree between two primary windings have been proposed, the function of the device is dependent upon the connections of the two windings being made in the right way.

The. function of the condenser across the booster in this device is to increase the capacity across the timer when the booster is added to the spark coil. My preferred construction for the booster arrangement is to connect the booster-coil and condenser to one unit and to connect the booster circuit either by a switch thrown in automatically at a certain motor speed, or by a switch of the well known type actuated, for instance, by the gas throttle, so that the booster coil comes in action beyond the-speed where the energy or tension of the spark coil is insufficient for the ignition. It is obvious that combinations of more than one booster-coil in parallel or in series with one another can be used in order to create more than two steps of energy. In combination with the booster coil a special spark coil can be used. the primary inductance of which is much higher than advisable for the highest speed of the motor. Such coil gives the ad vantage of very strong sparks at slow speed when used without thebooster, and having then a very much smaller current intake than the regular coils at idling speed, in this way the contact points can be considerably protected against undue wear.

I claim as my invention 1. An ignition circuit comprising a battery; a spark coil; an inductance coil completely separated from the iron core of the spark coil and connected in shunt to said spark coil: and a timer in series with both of said coils, said inductance coil increasing the energy available in the secondary circuit of the spark coil.

2. An ignition circuit comprising a battery; a spark coil: an inductance coil completely separated from the iron core of the spark coil and connected in parallel to the primary winding of said spark coil: a condenser connected in shunt to said inductance coil; and a timer in series with both of said coils, said inductance coil increasing the energy available in the secondary circuit of the spark coil.

3. An ignition circuit comprising a bat tery; a spark coil a switch; an inductance coil.

completely separated from the iron .core of the said switch and a timer in series withboth of said coils, said inductance coil increasing the energy available in the secondary circuit of the spark coil.

4:. An ignition circuit comprisinga spark coil energized-by a battery; an inductance coil completely separated from the iron core of.

said spark coil, said inductance coil being placed in shunt with the primary winding of said spark coil; and a timer in series with both of said coils.

-5. An ignition circuit for the spark plug 7 of an internal combustion engine oomprismg a battery; an ignition coil in circuit with said battery; an inductance coil connected in parallel with the primary winding of the ignition coil; a. timer in series with said coils; and a secondary circuit for the secondary winding of the ignition coil. the'fields of the ignition and inductance coils being independent of one another.

6. An ignition circuit for the spark plug of an internal combustion, engine comprising a battery; an ignition coil incircuit with said battery: an inductance coil connected in parall el with the primary winding of they ignition coil; a timer in the primary circuit and in series with said coils; a condenser connected across said timer; and a secondary circuit for the secondary winding of the ignition coil, the fields of the ignition and inductance coils being independent of one another.

7 An ignition circuit for the spark plug of an internal combustion engine comprising a battery; an ignition coil in circuit with said battery; an inductance coil connected in parallel with the primary winding of the ignition coil; a timer in the primary circuit and in series with said coils; a condenser connected across said timer; a switch connected in the shunt circuit of the inductance coil; and a secondary circuit for the secondary winding of the ignition coil, the fields of the ignition and inductance coils being independent of one another.

8. An ignition circuit for the spark plug of I and. in series with said coils; a condenser connected across said timer; a switch connected in the shunt circuit of the inductance 0011; a

secondary circuit for the secondary winding of the ignition coil; and a distributor in the secondary circuit, the fields of the ignition and inductance coils being independent of one another.

9. An ignition circuit for the spark plug of an internal combustion engine comprising a battery; an ignition coil in circuit with said battery; an inductance coil connected in par- 5 allel with the primary winding of the ignition coil; a timer connected in series with said coils; an iron core for said inductance coil; 0.

condenser connected across said inductance coil; and a secondary circuit for the secondary winding of the ignition coil, the fields of 10 the ignition and inductance coils being independent of one another.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. EGBERT VON LEPEL. 

